# Is China preparing to attack Taiwan? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 9, 2021, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-china-preparing-to-attack-taiwan/952233 "2021-10-09T23:58:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 11
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2022, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-china-preparing-to-attack-taiwan/952233/201 "2022-12-27T14:46:02Z")
Well, this is not terrific news, I don’t guess. > **[China sends 71 warplanes and 7 ships toward Taiwan in 24 hours](https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/china-taiwan-us-defense-spending-bill-rcna63221)** > > The aggression toward the self-ruling democracy, which Beijing claims as its territory, came after the Chinese government objected to a U.S. defense bill that was signed into law. ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2022, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-china-preparing-to-attack-taiwan/952233/202 "2022-12-28T00:07:54Z")
Could just be empty posturing. Saber-rattling is an old diplomatic tradition. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2022, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-china-preparing-to-attack-taiwan/952233/203 "2022-12-28T00:11:41Z")
> [@gnoitall](#): > > Saber-rattling is an old diplomatic tradition. Or intended for domestic consumption. ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2022, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-china-preparing-to-attack-taiwan/952233/204 "2022-12-28T16:13:19Z")
China is not doing anything after what happened to Russia. The same sanctions we put on Russia would end China in under a year. ---
**Author:** ![Frodo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frodo/32/302_2.png) [@Frodo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frodo)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2022, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-china-preparing-to-attack-taiwan/952233/205 "2022-12-28T16:15:39Z")
I think it would be impossible to put the same sanctions on China, China is far far FAR more enmeshed in the global manufacturing chains than Russia. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2022, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-china-preparing-to-attack-taiwan/952233/206 "2022-12-28T16:32:24Z")
> [@Frodo](#): > > China is far far FAR more enmeshed in the global manufacturing chains than Russia. More than that, unlike Ukraine, Taiwan’s status as a sovereign state is not recognized by most of the coalition that made the Russian sanctions so painful. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2022, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-china-preparing-to-attack-taiwan/952233/207 "2022-12-28T16:45:08Z")
The invasion of Ukraine should give China real doubts about the likelihood of success should they invade Taiwan. As an island, Taiwan would be a lot harder to invade. And on paper, Taiwan’s military is much better equipped than Ukraine’s was prior to the invasion (and, crucially for an island nation, Taiwan has a real navy, including a few submarines). Further, the apparent success of Ukraine’s defense has united NATO and the west in general more so than perhaps any single event since perhaps 9/11. On the other hand, China’s military is probably quite a bit more competent and capable than Russia’s. Though that’s easy to say before they fight – prior to the Ukraine invasion, the Russian military had a good reputation as well. But even if China’s military is as capable as they seem, invading Taiwan would be extremely difficult. Casualties would be huge, maybe even more so than Russia’s. I wonder if the Chinese people have the stomach for such a war that would provide essentially zero benefit to them. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2022, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-china-preparing-to-attack-taiwan/952233/208 "2022-12-28T16:48:25Z")
Taiwan produces more than half of the world’s computer chips. If China attacked and stopped that source of chips the whole world would feel it acutely and not be happy. The US is starting to build chip fabs in the US but those take a long time to get online (I think the US realized a distinct strategic problem having all chip fabrication elsewhere and under threat). ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2022, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-china-preparing-to-attack-taiwan/952233/209 "2022-12-28T18:10:47Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > The US is starting to build chip fabs in the US Yea, [Intel is building a $20B facility just east of Columbus, Ohio](https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/newsroom/news/intel-announces-next-us-site-landmark-investment-ohio.html). ---
**Author:** ![Bootb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19b73/32.png) [@Bootb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bootb)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2022, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-china-preparing-to-attack-taiwan/952233/210 "2022-12-29T00:41:14Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > On the other hand, China’s military is probably quite a bit more competent and capable than Russia’s. Though that’s easy to say before they fight – prior to the Ukraine invasion, the Russian military had a good reputation as well. It’s been quite some time since the PLA has been tested in combat. I will note that they didn’t do very well against Vietnam in 1979, despite having much shorter supply lines than the US did. ---
**Author:** ![TokyoBayer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tokyobayer/32/13989_2.png) [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2022, 10:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-china-preparing-to-attack-taiwan/952233/211 "2022-12-29T10:49:19Z")
Latest [news](https://time.com/6243596/taiwan-extends-compulsory-military-service/) here: > [@](#): > > Taiwan will extend its compulsory military service from four months to a year starting in 2024, President Tsai Ing-wen said Tuesday, as the self-ruled island faces China’s military, diplomatic and trade pressure. This is something which has been badly needed. You just don’t learn enough in four months. ---
**Author:** ![ralfy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ralfy/32/600_2.png) [@ralfy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralfy)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2023, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-china-preparing-to-attack-taiwan/952233/212 "2023-04-08T00:57:00Z")
htt ps://pbs.tw [img.com/media/FtFj](http://img.com/media/FtFj) eRkaYAY01N\_?format=jpg&name=900x900 ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2023, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-china-preparing-to-attack-taiwan/952233/213 "2023-04-08T02:25:25Z")
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**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2023, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-china-preparing-to-attack-taiwan/952233/214 "2023-04-08T02:26:51Z")
Don’t bump 3 month old threads with contentless image only posts. Base on your record, This is another warning for you. Stop posting garbage and empty links. I’m going to leave this old thread closed. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-china-preparing-to-attack-taiwan/952233.md?page=10)